Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1887-01-28
sflstf Rfa0ing.
A PICTURE To ORDER.

The time is back in "the fifties;'
the scene, dIngy, old, tumble down
building in IA better DAYS quarter Of
New York.
Across the front of th,s smoke be-
grimed pile is emblaznned legend
which. if Of recent origin. must have
been put there IN sport. 1t runs
"Enterprise Building
The pawn broker, the talIos caad-
Ter, and the OLD clothes man are in
possession Of the ground floor, VIII 10
the signs adornug the stairway lamb>
tell 10 what a motley cr.w the upper
regions have been abandoUe !.
Within this portal, almost block
aiding 1t with his broad shoulders.
stands man Of type more mum rous
IN the tiltIes than now. y genuine
Forty. nine" red SHIRT, coriuroys,
top boots, lea her belt, broad hat, sun
burnt fac.
HIS great, rough hand Is fnmbllng
lrresolutels through his big. tangled
beard. as be regards lntenily n sign
upon the stairs which reads: ''Por-
traits and l.audsca, e. Painted. Room
80"
IL has plainly been successful in
his gold seeking. Even his back
shows that /, Is broad, we'll ta.do.
one hundred cents on the dollar back
Perhaps he has had enough of rough
my II. aud longs for taste Of the re-
fined delights denied him IN hi, exile.
Whatever his intention, he seems
half ashamed of 1t, he takes a hurried
glance up and down the street, and
hesitates again before his resolve Is
taken, and his heavy boots g->lumber-
ing up the stairs.
In little room on the top floor sits
shabby man, the physical opposite
Of the first
The we'll worn books upon the
shelves and the bullying portfolios OF
''studies" all about show that he too
has been a digger after treasure. but of
another kind, aud his face gives evi
dence that he has found il.
His wide shaJowy eyes see more
than they rest upon, and his high
brow teens with ianclrs. far above the
grovelliug horde about him.
Upon the canvas before him his
hapd combines the fruits of research,
observation and reflection in results
to good 10 win the general applause
too perfect 10 be widely understood.
His labors have not brought him
the robust health, nor yet the material
rewards of the other.
lie is thin and weak and miserably
poor. Strive as he may with his un-
business like, impractical nature, he
can but keep himself half fed.
The day is bitter cold, and he pauses
often in his work to beat together his
blue fingers. almost as numb and life,
less as the little, rusty unused stove
in the corner.
How unequully the goods Of this
world are divided,
What a pity such as thi. cannot ex-
chan OF their possessions to the
point of equalization with that other
class represented by the we@rer Of the
heavy boots now numbering up toward
him.
What IA pit,-ah, YES, but Fate does
not often lend al ear to Pity.
P'rhars he was Illuminating some
what to thi: ell, CT when the clump
clumping of the top boot, f"iIawed
10y IA vigorous bombardment of his
door, Interrupted him.
lie ris, and opens the door, start
ing half in fear, half with pleasure
at the stalwart hgure before him.
With such "a model he could paint
men.
"G'd mornin', stranger" says the
"Forty miner
Good morning, come in" the other
replies, holding the door Hospitality
open.
"C'n | look at the plctures::'
"Certainly.'
cine visitor steps over the threSh-
old, and by tie time the artist has
closed the door and seated himself al
his work, he ha, gone around the
room, has stocked at them and plain
ly failed to find something he has
plainly hoped to See.
! He stands now and watches the ar
fist laying the colors on the canvass.
"Ah,' he says. 81 don; care mucl
for pictures, They don't look like
out doors. The, don't look like tn,
place | want to see. SAY, stranger
could y paint picture j'st as I'd de